News

The Government has issued further guidance for employers on coronavirus testing following the announcement that essential workers that are self-isolating are now eligible for the coronavirus test.

The NHS has produced a more detailed Employer Referral Portal- User Guide providing a step by step guide of how the portal works, how to fill out the referral spreadsheet, what information you will need about employees and how to track employee testing.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed an announcement from the Government about the extension of coronavirus testing to all key workers in England experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

During yesterday’s press conference, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock outlined the Government’s ‘test, track and trace’ programme to help the UK out of lockdown.

Content supplied by Yoti:

The need for secure identity verification has never been more pertinent. Our contactless, digital ID solutions minimise physical contact and risk of contagion in shops, and also enable key workers and volunteers to securely prove who they are online and in person. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has developed a resource to help convenience retailers work with councils to provide support to the vulnerable customers living in their communities.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on retailers to respond to the National Living Wage Survey 2020.

To respond to the survey, click here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ACSNLWSurvey2020

The closing date for the survey is 6^th May 2020. All responses are confidential.

Content supplied by Allied Bakeries:

Allied Bakeries has an essential role to play in feeding the nation during this crisis, both making sure shelves are stocked and ensuring bread gets to those who need it most.

Despite challenging conditions, we have donated over 23,000 Kingsmill loaves of bread to hospitals, fire stations, local charities & we’ve continued our partnership with Fareshare ensuring vulnerable people in the local community have access to good quality bread.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has developed new guidance to help convenience retailers to support customers who are grocery shopping on behalf of others during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Launched today (21st April) the new guidance has been developed to inform convenience retailers about best practice on offering and processing ‘card not present’ payments during the COVID-19 outbreak for volunteers purchasing groceries on behalf of vulnerable customers or people self-isolating.

Content supplied by JUUL Labs: 

JUUL Labs has launched a new Menthol flavour JUULpod, to offer adult smokers in the UK a wider range of alternatives to combustible cigarettes.

Smoking related diseases are responsible for almost 96,000 deaths in the UK annually¹ and it is critically important for retailers to provide adult smokers with access to potentially less harmful nicotine products.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is reminding retailers about the upcoming ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes which comes into force in one month, despite the ongoing situation with the coronavirus outbreak.

From 20th May 2020, it will be an offence for manufacturers to produce menthol cigarettes and retailers to sell menthol cigarettes as part of the European Union Revised Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU).

Today (20th April) the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened, meaning employers can now submit their applications for funding for a grant to cover 80% of the salary of workers furloughed as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Under the scheme, retailers can apply for a grant to cover 80% of furloughed workers’ wage costs up to a cap of £2,500 per month, as well as National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension contributions for that wage.